SHARE

Officer tells of being fired on by escaped inmate

A Rifle police officer said this morning he was scared for himself, his fellow officers and his community when an escaped Arizona inmate fired several bullets that struck his police vehicle as they exited Interstate 70 in Rifle.

But William Van Teylingen told 9th Judicial District Court Judge James Boyd during the sentencing of Daniel Renwick that the shooting made him determined to arrest Renwick last Aug. 1 before he could harm anyone.

Van Teylingen rammed the vehicle Renwick was driving to disable it, then jumped out of his squad car, expecting a continued confrontation.

“I came to fight. Mr. Renwick made it abundantly clear without a word the fight was on,” Van Teylingen said.

However, Renwick instead got out of his car and onto the ground to surrender.

Renwick, 37, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of first-degree attempted murder for having fired on Van Teylingen and in the direction of other officers who also were in pursuit. Boyd agreed to the plea bargain terms under which Renwick will serve 48 years for the count involving Van Teylingen, and 12 more years for the second count.

He stood and faced Van Teylingen and the other officers in court to apologize to them.

“Guys, I know you were only doing your job, and my actions were totally out of line. I’m really sorry for what I did. It weighs heavily on my heart. … I hope someday you can forgive me for my actions,” Renwick said.

Authorities say Renwick escaped from prison in Arizona with two other inmates July 30. He then left the other two and was driving on Interstate 70 when Garfield County sheriff’s deputy Evan Jaramillo spotted him.

Renwick was alone when arrested, and the other two fugitives were arrested later in other states.

Renwick had been serving two 22-year sentences for having killed an ex-girlfriend and her father, and was scheduled for release in 2043. Under the plea agreement, if he’s still alive after serving his Colorado sentence, he would return to Arizona to finish his sentence there.